CNN: US believes Russia is preparing another offensive against Ukraine in the coming weeks

This was reported by John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the US National Security Council at the White House, to CNN.

The White House spokesman noted:

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will try to launch another offensive and possibly on many other vectors.

We need to make sure we do everything we can to make sure Ukraine is prepared for that.

The US wants Ukrainians to be able to defend themselves "against any renewed Russian offensive" and to be able to "conduct their own offensive operations at any time and in any place, size or scale of their choice".

This is where we are now withdrawing battalions from Ukraine and conducting combined arms manoeuvres for them. That's why they are ramping up training on things like the Patriot air defence system. We're doing everything we can to make sure they're as prepared as they can be before the critical weeks and months ahead," Kirby stresses.

The US will continue to provide President Vladimir Zelensky with "whatever he needs, wherever he decides to fight".

That means intelligence. It means support. It means weapons. It means capabilities. That's what we focus on," Kirby said.